Success! Lenana Peak, Mt. Kenya

© Ryan Goebel, 2013

On Thursday, 21 February 2013, at around 7am (Kenya time), I successfully made it to the top of Lenana Peak on Mount Kenya.

The Story Behind The Photo: "Door to Hell" -- The Darvaza Gas Crater

© Ryan Goebel, 2010

"The Story Behind The Photo" will be a recurring theme here at Global Goebel Travels, where I choose one of my favorite travel photos and tell the story behind shooting it.

One of the most popular photos over at my Flickr site, is "Door to Hell" -- The Darvaza Gas Crater.  I took this photo on a trip to Turkmenistan in May 2010.

The Darvaza Gas Crater is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Turkmenistan and probably one of the most bizarre attractions in the world.  This huge burning crater, often referred to by locals as the "The Door To Hell", is located in the middle of the Karakum desert about 260km (160 miles) north of Ashgabat.

My Words About Their Words: Kilimanjaro

At 19,341ft (5895m) above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain on the African continent and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.  Kilimanjaro is actually a dormant volcano consisting of three volcanic cones: Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo.  Uhuru Peak is the highest point on the rim of Kibo and thus the highest point on the mountain and in Africa.  Conveniently, Uhuru Peak can be summitted without any climbing equipment or technical mountain climbing skills.  You just have to be able to withstand the effects of an altitude where there's half the amount of oxygen in the air as at sea level, bear the subzero temperatures, and walk to the top.  It sounds so simple, but my past experience with high altitude trekking in the Himalayas and written accounts of Kilimanjaro "climbs" tell me otherwise.

Kilimandjaro by Jeremy V on Flickr (used with permission)

In preparation for my upcoming "climb" of Kilimanjaro,

Travel Tip: How to get a Burmese visa in Bangkok

Back in October, I traveled to Burma (also known as Myanmar).  I am often asked about the process required for getting a visa to this beautiful and rapidly changing Southeast Asian nation.  Although I plan on writing more posts about Burma, I'd like to share with you my experience getting my Burmese visa in Bangkok (often considered the easiest place to get the Burmese visa and a common gateway to Burma).

The Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Bangkok is located at 132, Sathorn Nua Rd in Silom. It’s a relatively short walk from the Surasak BTS Skytrain station.  Use Exit 3 from the Surasak station and walk down to street level.  Turn right at the bottom of the stairs so that you are walking along the sidewalk underneath the Skytrain station and past the Skytrain’s escalator entrance.  Continue walking along Sathorn Road past Bangkok Christian School.  The Myanmar Embassy is at the corner of Sathorn Road and Thanon Pan (see map).

© Ryan Goebel

The following items are required to obtain a visa:

Selamat Datang!

In Bahasa Indonesia, "selamat datang" means "welcome".  This blog entry is a short introduction to me and my new blog "Global Goebel Travels".

Global

The entire world....  I'm from a small town in southern Illinois and currently work in Indonesia.

Goebel

My last name.....  My family's ancestors were German farmers that immigrated to the American Midwest in the mid-1800's.

Travels

It's what I do....  In 2001, I used frequent flyer miles to get to Thailand on my first trip outside of North America.  I've been in love with travel since about my second day on that trip and have been to 50 countries (and counting) since.

Here's a photo of me from that first international trip with 

some girls selling fruit in Sisophan, Cambodia.

© Ryan Goebel